Question

Law enforcement personnel request your assistance to assess a 31-year-old female who was sexually assaulted. when you arrive at the scene, you find the patient sitting on a curb outside her apartment. she is conscious, alert, and crying. when you ask her what happened, she tells you that she does not want to be treated or transported to the hospital. she further tells you that all she wants to do is clean up. you should:

Answer 1

Tell her that you know that this must be hard for her, but it will be necessary to do a physical exam on her first before she cleans up. Body tissue samples and any other possible sources of the suspect's DNA (such as fluids, blood or skin cells under the victim's nails) must first be collected for lab analysis before she washes them away while cleaning herself.